Methods and materials for reducing the severity of viral infections

Abstract

This document relates to methods and materials involved in treating and/or preventing and/or reducing the severity of a viral infection present in a mammal. For example, methods for increasing expression of an Oas gene family polypeptide, an Ifit gene family polypeptide, an Isg15 polypeptide, a Rig-1 polypeptide, a Mda5 polypeptide, and a Mx1 polypeptide in mammals using a lentiviral vector comprising nucleic acid encoding a picornavirus 3Dpol polypeptide (or a fragment thereof) are provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for increasing expression of an Ifit1 polypeptide within a mammal, wherein said method comprises administering lentivirus particles comprising nucleic acid encoding a picornavirus 3Dpol polypeptide or a catalytically active fragment thereof to said mammal under conditions wherein expression of said Ifit1 polypeptide is increased, wherein said mammal is a mouse, dog, cat, cow, horse, or human. 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said mammal is a human. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said picornavirus 3Dpol polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said administering comprises an oral administration. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said administering comprises an intravenous administration. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said administering comprises a nasal inhalation. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said lentiviral vector comprises nucleic acid encoding a fragment of said picornavirus 3Dpol polypeptide that is between 100 and 470 amino acid residues in length.